Celtics fans are still in shambles after Spurs stole secret weapon

Despite being one of the most decorated franchises in NBA history, the Boston Celtics have gotten off to a rough start to the season. After starting the season 5-6, they may have the San Antonio Spurs to thank, or dare I say, blame.

The Spurs wisely swooped in at the start of free agency and stole the Celtics' former backup big man, Luke Kornet. They did so by taking advantage of the collective bargaining agreement, which limited the Celtics' potential offer to Kornet.

Even after gutting their roster, they couldn't afford to bring him back, with the Spurs offering him a partially guaranteed four-year, $41 million contract. That looks like a great deal for the Spurs and terrible for the Celtics.

The Celtics' slow start has partly been due to rebounding being a major culprit. It was clear to see, even before the start of the season, that the Celtics' center rotation was among the worst in the NBA. If they still had Kornet, that would be a different story.

In just his second game with the Spurs, Kornet grabbed nine offensive rebounds. That helped San Antonio overcome 23 turnovers and 33 missed threes to steal a road game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

When he returned from injury against the Chicago Bulls, he came up big. He posted 16 points and 8 rebounds in just 20 minutes and even closed the game for the Spurs.

The Spurs have the Boston Celtics to thank for Luke Kornet

The Spurs and Celtics have ironically been linked in recent years thanks to the Derrick White trade. While the Spurs looked as though they initially won the deal. White helped the Celtics win a championship, while the assets from the deal didn't quite work out as expected for the Spurs.

They managed to flip Josh Richardson for four seconds, but the pick they received from Boston turned out to be Blake Wesley. The Spurs still have the Celtics' 2028 first-round pick swap, which might be of interest. But only if San Antonio is a contender and Boston and Jayson Tatum aren't the same as they were before.

In that case, that might mean the Spurs get a slightly higher pick, which isn't nothing. All of that is to say that the Spurs got revenge for that trade by stealing Kornet away from Boston. You love to see it.

Now, San Antonio could reap the benefits of their free agent heist by having a starting-caliber center locked up on an affordable four-year deal. Better still, he solved the team's biggest problem, backup center, and has played well alongside Victor Wembanyama. That makes him a huge get for the Spurs and a big loss for the Celtics.